San+Antonio+Independent+School+District+v.+Rodriguez

Kevin Johns MGED 3030 Court Case #1 San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez Supreme Court of the United States Argued: October 12th 1972 Decided March 21, 1973 Background:

The appellant, the San Antonio School District, acting on behalf of students and family in the district, challenged the funding scheme of the state-funded program. This program was designed to establish a minimum educational threshold in every school, Texas public schools rely on local property taxes for supplemental revenue. This reliance on assessable property, the San Antonio School, caused severe inter-district disparities in per-pupil expenditures, because the district had families residing in poor districts causing the students to be severely underprivileged. The San Antonio Independent School district specifically challenged that this was a violation of the 14th amendment of the United States Constitution. That it is a direct violation of the Equal Protection Clause by failing to fund equally among school districts.

Decision and Rationale:

The court did rule in favor of the San Antonio School District, stating that it would not examine the system with “strict scrutiny” since there is no fundamental right to education in the Constitution and the system did not systematically discriminate against all poor people in Texas. The court stated that the funding scheme was clear and that it was not “so irrational as to be invidiously discriminatory.” Justice Powell states “the Equal Protection Clause does not require absolute equality or precisely equal advantages.”

Impact on Teaching:

Since this case was appealed and overturned, and was originally won by Rodriguez at the lower level, this shows that school districts have a lot of say on how funding is produced. Rodriguez was essentially trying to help his community, allowing for his community to receive equal funding. However, the courts felt that education is not a right but more a privilege. This shows that teachers should know that their student’s education is a privilege and that education should be treated as such. If children knew that their education was considered a privilege and not a right they may see that education is of higher importance than they think. This also shows that poorer communities and school districts should find other ways of funding to support their schools, instead of relying on local funding. This would allow for a more community based school were the focus is more student oriented.

Quiz to Court case

1. T or F. The United States Supreme court stated that there is no fundamental right to education according to the Constitution. 2. T or F. The fourteenth amendment was what the Argument as over. 3. T or F. Justice Powell state that the Equal Protection clause doesn’t require absolute equality. 4. Who was the appellant in the case if San Antonio School District v. Rodriguez? a. Rodriguez b. Justice Powell c. The Supreme Court of the United States d. San Antonio School District 5. What was the ruling of the court decision? a. Rodriguez’s ruling held from the lower courts b. In favor of the San Antonio School District c. The court case is ongoing d. The Supreme Court decided to come up with a different modified plan itself changing all school districts to a unified funding program.

  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">Whitney Harris <span style="display: block; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">Court Case-Week 1 <span style="display: block; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; text-align: center;">San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez <span style="display: block; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; text-align: center;">Defendant: Rodriguez Plantiff: San Antonio Independent School District <span style="display: block; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; text-align: center;">United States Supreme Court <span style="display: block; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; text-align: center;">Argued October 12, 1972 Decided March 21, 1973 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Background: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">School officials and parents thought it was unfair for Texas elementary and secondary schools to be funded by property taxes, when some people live in poor districts. The San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD) was on the people’s side. They argued that it was unfair and caused the children to be wrongfully underprivileged. It was argued that the Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection clause) was being violated.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Decision and Rationale:

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The decision was made that the Fourteenth Amendment was not being violated because it “does not require absolute equality or precisely equal advantages” says Justice Powell. There is also no fundamental right to education in stated in the Fourteenth Amendment or anywhere else in the Constitution for that matter. It was also thought to be rational since other states have similar funding practices.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Impact on Teaching:

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">This case has an impact on teaching because schools are not equally funded. Therefore, some teachers have fewer materials and what they do have is of poor quality. The schools that have plenty of funding, you will never hear complaining. It is not fair to the children in the school that has less funding. They do not deserve an education of any less quality than the next child. However, if I were in a district with better funding, I would not want my money to go to a school that my child did not attend. I would want that at my child’s school to better their opportunitites.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Quiz Question: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">It was decided that the Fourteenth Amendment was violated in San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez. T/F